Topic: Need advice and link to a good router/network application

[NJAntman]

Been having trouble with random internet drops and just automatically put the blame on Comcrap, hard reset the router and got back on majority of the time.

By chance today I had the laptop up and got a Skype call as I was failing to connect to the internet on the desktop (ethernet connected to router (Linksys WRT54GS)).

WTF, never occured to me to see if the internet drops were affecting only one machine but that now appears to be the case. Somehow I've got the internet signal from the Comcast modem coming into the router and passing on wireless to the laptop but not connecting through the ethernet connection to the desktop.

The Linksys EasyLink Advisor is worthless. I'm looking for an app I can run in the background that will show me if the router is getting internet signal from the Comcast modem (ethernet connected) and to what is that signal being fedto (wired and wireless) and maybe the strength. And of course free would be preferred.

Any suggestions? And anybody ever run into this problem before?

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

easiest things to do is to first check to see if the computer recieves an IP based on the routers DHCP, if it does, it at least is connected in somewhat. Next, are the light on, do they blink when you try to go somewhere on the internet (note if only 1 is blink, or both the internet light and the ethernet connection is) is the modem lights blinking too?

Also check to make sure your desktop doesnt have a "Proxy" enabled (malicious programs will change your settings for this from auto-detect or none to using a specific proxy)

[Javora]

Did that one machine catch a virus?  Something I would check on after rechecking my network setup.  It also could be that your Linksys router has a bad port, have you tried moving the Cat-5 cable to another port?  While I hate to rag on a company when someone has a problem, I never had any good luck with Linksys products.  Mine only lasted about six months and everyone I know who owned them has had problems with Linksys products.  I have always suggested either Dlink or Netgear routers.  I don't know enough about Trendnet yet to make a recommendation.  Hope this helps.

[marstone]

not to be contrary, but my linksys router has been the best one I ever got, it has lasted years.

[Lieutenant_Q]

Skype has a really weird way of being able to connect when nothing else can.  I'm not sure why or how, but I've had a number times when nothing else would connect (through Comcast) but Skype would.  Extremely frustrating to be able to talk to people over a VOIP, but not be able to connect to a simple website like Dynaverse.net.  I wish I could give you better help, but when it did happen Comcast came out and diagnosed it as a modem problem.  They eventually replaced the modem and the issues have since stopped.  I asked him why Skype would work, and he just shrugged and went back to work on the cable line.  Which leads me to believe that there was more than just the modem problem.  But I haven't had a problem like that since.  It's either not worked at all, or it all works.

[NJAntman]

easiest things to do is to first check to see if the computer recieves an IP based on the routers DHCP,

Where and how do I do that?

Next, are the light on, do they blink when you try to go somewhere on the internet (note if only 1 is blink, or both the internet light and the ethernet connection is) is the modem lights blinking too?

Trying to notice, but of course since I posted this I've kept connected for several hours without interuption. Fraking making me paranoid, like the ssytem knows I'm watching it.

[NJAntman]

Did that one machine catch a virus?

Yea, this one had the Systyem Tools bug several weeks ago and I caught an "allow proxy server" selection box  in the settings once I cleaned it up and couldn't connect. That poxy selection box is still clear as of now; not sure if there are other places where a proxy could be selected. 

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

easiest things to do is to first check to see if the computer recieves an IP based on the routers DHCP,

Where and how do I do that?

easiest is go to
Start-> Run type: cmd
type: ipconfig

Look for something like
"Ethernet adaptor Local Area Connection LAN:
..."

so for me as example output (I have my adaptor names as PlasmaInfusing, this is normally just Local Area Connection for a name):

Ethernet adapter PlasmaInfusing LAN:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::f129:dbd0:7188:552b%10
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Look for that IPv4 address, or if your on XP just IP address, if its blank or perhaps 0.0.0.0 then you aren't getting an IP address, try putting it in a different port on the router.

IF that is the case then type
ipconfig/release
then
ipconfig/renew

if you dont get an address then the router isnt dishing out an IP next check in your router and somewhere (I cant say exactly where It differs per every router) look for Connection status or list of connected devices and see if your computer desktop is listed while your on

Also, if while your getting no internet you are able to connect to the router then its a problem not with the computer but with the router or modem more than likely, if not then its probably the computer adaptor or wire or basically anything on any other side of the router

Let me know if that was confusing at all, Im operating on 5 hours sleep atm.

[NJAntman]

Make sense to me, but what I got doesn't.

When I first tried an internet connection from the desktop this afternoon it failed. But I've noticed and confirmed that on the bottom left of the IE screen it shows an address of 172.2.118.141 and then I get the no connection screen. All the usual lights on the modem and router were blinking or solid; and the laptop was connected to and kept its' connection with Dyna.

Brought up the command prompt and the ipconfig showed:
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection
            Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.nj.comcast.net.
             IP Address .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  : 192.168.1.102
             Subnet Mask .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  : 255.255.255.0
             Default Gateway  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  : 192.168.1.1

I did a hard reset of the router and tried again.

The bottom left of the IE screen showed "detecting proxy settings", then my homepages name and it connected.  ipconfig showed the same result:
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection
            Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.nj.comcast.net.
             IP Address .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  : 192.168.1.102
             Subnet Mask .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  : 255.255.255.0
             Default Gateway  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  : 192.168.1.1

Again all the usual lights on the modem and router were blinking or solid; and the laptop was connected to and kept its' connection with Dyna.

So it seems I'm getting info from the router, yet I connect to a proxy (which I checked off not to do). WTF? I checked IPConfig on the laptop (IE7) (Win7) and I get the same values plus an IpV4 and IpV6.